Is WoW Retail worth a try in 2025?

It’s time to talk about the Retail version of WoW — The War Within — in 2025 and determine if it’s worth it to return to the game and give it a try. There are always people who dip in and out of World of Warcraft and come back later. Sometimes, there are whole expansions that you aren’t a fan of. Take me, for example. Shadowlands is, in my estimation, one of the single worst expansions of the game’s history, and I’ve been an active player since the start. Sometimes, the game just gets in a rut and doubles down on bad ideas.

The shift to focusing on daily quests/world quests was a major downturn for the game. It focused on FOMO (fear of missing out) and made people feel guilty, in a way, for not logging in to play. That has shifted away some but still kind of lingers in the corner. Despite that, I think WoW Retail is certainly worth a try in 2025 — The War Within has felt like a real step forward for the game’s future.

WoW’s Retail edition is in an incredibly strong position in 2025

Without question, it's worth it to dive back into WoW Retail in 2025. In the past, I’ve said that World of Warcraft Classic is far more enjoyable than Retail, and in some cases, that’s still true — but in 2025, I’ve found that I’ve put more time into the retail game instead of Season of Discovery or the 20th Anniversary progression servers. I think Dragonflight was a slow push in the right direction, but it was still a bit on the clunky side.

Heading to Khaz Algar has been an enjoyable, emotional journey so far (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

When it comes to story, I’ve found myself more invested in Xal’atath’s plans — she always seems to be one step ahead of the players — but is she really? I won't drop any 11.1 spoilers, but this shift to a more long-term storytelling system is why I love professional wrestling so much — in particular, AEW. The expansions have almost always felt kind of disconnected from each other. WoW Retail in 2025 has continued to shift away from that.

The players simply lurch from one titanic, world-ending calamity to the next, with a similar power creep to Dragon Ball. We go from the Lich King, to a monstrous life-ending Dragon God, to an Orc who infused themselves with the power of negativity and hurt feelings, to the Commander of the Burning Legion. It only gets more ridiculous from there.

Instead of just fighting a who’s who of bad guys, things get a bit more focused, and I appreciate that. It’s still world-ending nonsense, but in a way that I think makes a bit more sense and is connected better.

If Legion Remix is even half as good as Mop Remix, we're in for a treat (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

The gameplay and updates, for the most part, are also much better in WoW Retail in 2025. We’re hot off the heels of Mists of Pandaria Remix, which was an amazing idea. Previously, all the cool offshoot modes were relegated to the Classic servers — but WoW Remix is more of a Retail thing and we could see another one of those in 2025 with Legion Remix.

It’s unknown if that’s coming this year, but I think it’s more likely than not. Sure, classes continue to get buffed and nerfed, but I think the game state is in a really solid place right now. There’s always room for improvement, though.

I think where WoW Retail really shines in 2025 is game updates and the ability to catch up with other players. If you’ve taken some time away or find yourself having to focus on other games, as I often do, it can be hard to keep up with your friends/guildmates. That’s far easier these days with the global events, bosses, and various catch-up mechanics.

I didn't expect to enjoy Undermine so much, but here we are! (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Additionally, I think Undermine and its storyline might be one of the best in the game right now. It feels topical while also very much being a fantasy. It’s a well-designed zone — if only there were permanent markers for some of the vendors — and it’s nice to be focused on the goblins again.

The G-99 Breakneck vehicle is fun and chaotic to drive and the dailies/world quests don’t feel heavy and tedious to do. Most of the content is pretty easy to get into and doesn’t force the player to commit giant amounts of time for. There’s so much to be excited for in Retail WoW right now.

Later this year, we will learn more about the next expansion, Midnight, which is the second part of the WorldSoul Saga. I don’t think it will arrive in 2025, but we might see some Alpha testing in the later part of the year if Dragonflight is anything to go by. We’ve likely got one more major update/raid coming for The War Within before we set sail for Midnight. But I’m very keen on what’s on the way.

Getting Retail also means you get Classic! Sometimes, we all need a little bit of a break (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

One final reason to be excited for WoW’s retail edition in 2025 is that you also get Classic! If you feel like you need to take a break, or just go back in time for a while, to a “better” time, you can do that with the same subscription. It’s a powerful lure, that’s for sure.

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar